Mexico: Defending the Communication Rights of Indigenous Women and Men

The Union of Indigenous Communities of the Northern Istmus of Tehuantepec strengthens its members’ efforts to defend their human rights, autonomy, culture, land and natural resources through providing legal and technical advice, training and collective management of economic resources. Among the many challenges and problems facing the peoples of the area are environmental damage, the loss of their land to foreign corporations, and the threat to indigenous varieties of corn that is the staple food of the indigenous peoples. The communities feel a strong need to strengthen community life and values that can help them to better defend their rights. The project will train 30 Mixe, Mixteca, Zapoteca, Chinanteca and Huave women and men in community journalism and radio production skills. They will use their new abilities in community radio reporting and programmes incorporating a gender perspective on themes such as environmental protection, conservation of indigenous corn, gender equality, and human and indigenous rights. The project will help ensure that women and men from the communities participate actively in the forum provided by community radio. The project is inspired by international recognition in multilateral agreements that indigenous peoples have the right to create and use their own communication media.

The World Association for Christian Communication is registered in Canada as a not-for-profit corporation (438311-7) and an incorporated charitable organisation (number 83970 9524 RR0001) with its offices at 308 Main Street, Toronto ON, M4C 4X7. WACC is also a UK Registered Charity (number 296073) and a Company registered in England and Wales (number 2082273) with its Registered Office at 16 Tavistock Crescent, London W11 1AP, United Kingdom.